Tobias theo



(No Model.)

T. T. PERGAMENT.

FASTENING FOR-SHOES. N0. 563,06'0. Patented June 30, 1896 ANDREW B GRAHAMv PHuTOumQwASHINGTDN. B C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOBIAS THEO. PERGAMENT, OF NEYV YORK, N.

FASTENING FOR SHOES.

sPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,060, dated June 30, 1896. Application filed May 1,1895. Serial No. 547,725. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TOBIAS THEo. PERGA- MENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for Shoes and other Articles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is principally intended for the fastenings of shoes, but is capable of a wider application.

The objects of my invention are to lessen the length of lacing used on a shoe, diminish the number of hooks necessary, and afiord a positive means of fastening the upper end of the lacing not liable to accidental unfastening.

To these ends my invention consists in a shoe-fastening comprising the usual eyelets and hooks of a shoe, (arranged as usual except that the hooks may be placed farther apart than ordinarily,) a single lacing held at the lower eyelets of the shoe by a head or button, and a suitable clamp or look for the lacing at the upper end of the flap. Preferably said clamp or lock has a rigid finger, and the lacing is provided with a number of eyelets, through any one of which the said finger may be passed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure I is a perspective view of a shoe to which my invention is applied, partly broken away to show the means of attaching the lower end of the lacing. Fig. II is a top view of the clamp or look detached from the shoe. Fig. III is a side view thereof. Fig. IV is a sectional view thereof applied to the shoe-flap. Fig. V is a top view of the blank for the cap part of the clamp. Fig. VI is a similar view of the blank for the bottom part of the clamp. Fig. VII is a top view of the upper edge of the shoe-flaps, showing the method of applying the lacing to the clamp. Figs. II to VII are to a larger scale than Fig. I.

1 may represent any form of shoe having usual lacing-eyelets 2 and hooks 3. The

hooks 3 are preferably placed somewhat farther apart than usual and arranged in zigzag order, that is, with each hook on one flap half-way between two hooks on the other flap. At the upper edge, however, the topmost hook 3 is at the same height as the clamp 4., which is placed on the flap of the shoe opposite said hook. A single lacing 5 has a flat button 6 at its lower end and is passed through the eyelets 2 and around the hooks 3, as shown in Fig. I. It has preferably near its upper end a series of small metal-protected eyes 7.

The construction of the clamp 4 is such as to afford a single lock for the lacing, but to rise as slightly as possible above the flap of the shoe. The clamp is made in two parts: the cap part 8 and bottom part 9. The blank of the cap 8 is shown in Fig. V, and is stamped out of flat metal and has a hole at 10 and ears at 11. The form of the blank for the bottom is shown in Fig. VI. It has two sharp projections 12, two cars 13, (which have holes 14,) and an inverted-V slit 15. The ears 13 are turned up, as shown in Fig. III, so that their holes 14: will afford bearing for the ears 11 of the cap-piece 8. The ears 13 are at the same time slightly bent or bowed, so as to afford a seat 16 for the cap and hold it with spring action while itis in the horizontal position. The spring, however, of the ears is not sufficiently strong to prevent the cap from being turned up to a vertical position, as shown in Fig. VII. The sharp points 12 of the blank are turned down to the position shown in Fig. III, in which position they are adapted to enter the flap of the shoe and be upset, as shown in Fig. IV, so as to hold the clamp in position. within the V-slit 15 is turned up, as shown in Fig. III, to afford a tongue 17, which is sur- The portion of metalrounded by the hole 10 of cap 8 when the latter is brought down to the position shown in Figs. II, III, and IV. The eyelets 2 are preferably made considerably larger than usual, so that the fastening willreadily loosen when the lacing is released from the clamp.

The operation of the fastening will now be apparent. The lacing 5 is laced through the eyelets 2 and pulled taut until its retaining-button 6 is arrested by contact with the under surface of the shoe-flap. The shoe is then placed on the foot and the lacing rapidly passed around the hooks 3 and one of its eyes 7 placed over the tongue 17, the cap 8 being raised to allow this, as shown in Fig. VII. The said cap is now lowered to the position shown in Fig. I, and in that position will hold the lacing firmly and prevent the loosening of the fastening.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A fastening comprising a bottom part 9 formed with sharp side projections 12 located transversely thereof, with a longitudinal V- shaped slit 15 located in a central position between the back and the front of the bottom part, with a V-shaped tongue 17 and with vertically and outwardly bowed side ears 13,

located at the rear of the side projections and having holes 14 and seats 16 in the bowed 15 parts for the cap to retain and hold the cap with spring action in normal position, and a cap 8 formed with side ears 11, by which it is hinged to the bowed ears, and with a hole 10 through which the tongue is adapted to pro 20 ject; substantially as described.

TOBIAS THEO. PERGAMENT.

'Witnesses:

HARRY E. KNIGHT, M. V. BIDGOO D, 

